New England’s Newest Research Center
Emphasizing interdisciplinary research, a new Cambridge lab will add to the region’s strengths as a hotbed of innovation.
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| Dr. Jennifer Chayes, Managing Director, Microsoft Research New England |
In recent years, many large corporations and government agencies have cut back on their support for basic research. Yet, the need for fundamental interdisciplinary research has never been clearer. Experience has shown that by uniting hard sciences, such as physics and mathematics, with social sciences, like economics and sociology, researchers can make significant contributions to our economy and also to help the world’s less fortunate.
In my field of mathematics, for example, algorithms developed to study social networks on the Internet may help experts tackle a wide range of problems in the developing world — from determining the best ways to distribute scarce water resources to helping fight disease through better understanding of gene regulatory networks.
At Microsoft Research’s new lab in Cambridge, Mass., which will open in July, our goal is to become a leader in this interdisciplinary approach to basic research. To accomplish this, we will bring together computer scientists and social scientists to conduct research that will improve computing experiences in an increasingly online world.
I have found Cambridge to be an exhilarating environment ever since I did post-doctoral work in mathematics and physics at Harvard. With so many world-class universities in close proximity, and such a large community of scientists, it makes sense that this intellectual center will join the other Cambridge, in England, as the site of a Microsoft Research lab, along with Silicon Valley, Beijing, Bangalore and Redmond, Wash. We are particularly excited about collaborating with faculty and students at New England’s many excellent universities. Our lab also will work closely with Microsoft’s new Concept Development Center, also located in Cambridge, giving us the capability to take basic research insights and turn them into exciting new technologies.
Breaking through barriers is what research is all about, and I am particularly excited by the opportunities our researchers will have to collaborate with scientists, scholars and students across multiple disciplines. As we develop the insights that will lead to better search engines and spam filters, reduce Internet fraud, and improve the consumer experience on social networking sites, we will draw on the expertise of economists, psychologists, sociologists and even designers.
Personally, I hope I can contribute to another kind of breakthrough. Women today hold few leadership positions in the scientific research community. As the first woman to head a Microsoft Research lab, I hope to inspire other women scientists to become leaders, and encourage young girls to seek careers in science and math. Tapping such talent and keeping basic research vital is important for Microsoft — and for the world.
